Question

When we see a few coins scattered on the ground, we would probably pick them up on the sly or walk away ignoring them. What if it was an envelope full of ` 2000 bills? How are people likely to react in such a situation?

Discuss with a partner and share your views.

Answer 1

People may react differently. Reader’s Digest conducted an honesty test on the busy roads of major cities of India. They had obviously left a costly mobile on the middle of a pavement. A candid camera was taking video footage. Many tried to pocket it. One poor man tried to contact a policeman on the beat and hand it over to him. Recently in Saravana Bhavan hotel in Chennai, an old lady had left behind a yellow bag. There were 25 lakhs in the bag. The old lady had come to buy jewels for her granddaughter’s wedding. One of the waiters who attended the lady and her family members passed on the bag to the manager, who in turn gave it in-person to Inspector, Mambalam Police station. Fortunately, a tear-filled lady and worried family members also reached the spot. The Inspector sent for the honest waiter and through him gave the money to the old lady.

Whether it is big money or small coins, one should not covet others’ wealth. The person who lost must be feeling the pain of loss. We should never think of enjoying life at the cost of the pain of others.